Air venting valve for use with hot water radiators



Jan. 15, 1957 w. T. FERGUSON 2,777,459

AIR VENTING VALVE FOR USE WITH HOT WATER RADIATORS Filed 001:. 8, 1955Ill accumulate in each radiator as the heating season pro- AIR VENTINGVALVE FOR USE WITH HOT WATER RADIATORS Warren T. Ferguson, NewtonHighlands, Mass., assignor to Anderson Products, Incorporated,Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 8,1953, Serial No. 384,866

6 Claims. (Cl. 137--197) This invention is particularly concerned withan air vent which may be used in connection with a hot water heatingsystem to vent quickly the air in each individual radiator at thebeginning of the heating season and which will function thereafter tovent slowly such air as may gresses.

The conventional practice up to the present in hot water heating systemsof the type commonly used in homes is to provide a small key operatedvalve located near the top of each radiator. At the beginning of eachheating season, the system should be filled with water. The trapped airin the top of each radiator is permitted to escape by opening the keyoperated valve. After the radiator is filled with water and the airexpelled, the valve is closed. Thereafter, as the system functions, airthat is present in the water gradually escapes therefrom to accumulateanew in the top of each radiator. In so doing, the water level in eachradiator falls and the heating efiiciency correspondingly declines.

There is, however, ordinarily available 'in a separate tank connected tothe system, additional water under pressure so that the Water level ineach radiator may be restored as soon as the air in the top of eachradiator is vented therefrom. To restore the water level under theprevious practice has required manual opening of each radiator valvewhich operation is usually not attended to with proper regularity.Accordingly, under ordinary existing conditions it has been found that,in general, the heating efiiciency tends to decline as the heatingseason progresses.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a valveof such character and construction that it may be substituted for thepresent key actuated valve to permit the immediate and continuous escapefrom the radiator of any air that collects in the upper portion. Thisassumes of course that there is a suitable supply of water underadequate pressure to raise the level in the radiator and to expell thegas through the automatically operating valve.

The valve of the present invention in addition to its automatic airventing feature is designed to permit quick Venting by manual actuationat any time. Ordinarily, this quick venting operation will occur only atthe beginning of each season. Thereafter, the venting will be automaticas the water level is raised.

The invention further includes a construction which While permitting theslow continuous escape of air will automatically seal itself against theescape of water when the water reaches the valve level.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a constructionpermitting low cost assembly of the various parts making provision atthe same time for an entrance port of small size so that the amount ofwater in the form of condensate or otherwise that may collect in theentrance port will be limited, thereby facilitating proper venting oneach venting cycle.

These and other objects of the invention will become 2 more apparentasthe description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the valve' screwedin'position in the wall of a radiator.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a section of the wall of a radiator 2 isshown with the customary threaded hole 4 into which has been screwed thevalve of the present invention generallyindicated at 6. This valveconsists of a body 8 threaded at 10 to be received by threads 4.

The body is enlarged at 12 to provide a hexagonal exterior formation 14permitting it to be gripped readily by The body 8 has an interior awrench or other tool. longitudinal bore 16 of relatively largesubstantially uniform diameter which terminates at the shoulder 18.Extending from the inner edge of shoulder 18 to the right hand end ofthe body 8 is a passage 20. A head 22 with an outer flange 23 has ashank 24 extending there'- from which shank terminates at shoulder 26 toengage with the right hand end of body 8. A tubular exten sion 28extends through passage 20 fitting closely therein and has its endriveted over as at 30 to engage against shoulder 18 and thereby tosecure the head 22 firmly on the end of body 8.

Surrounding shank 24 and located between the end of body 8 and flange 23are a plurality of hydroscopic annular disks 32 which have a smallamount of clearance with shank 24 and which when dry will not completelyfill the space between body 8 and flange 23.

The passage through extension 28 and into shank 24 is numbered 34. Thispassage connects with a hole 36 leading to the interior of the disks 32.

A hole 38 bored through one of the hexagonal sides 14 leads from theexterior thereof to the interior of bore "16. This hole is threaded asshown to receive a quick venting screw 40 which is milled fiat on oneside as at 42 and bent over as at 44 on its inner end to prevent itsremoval. A washer 46 is positioned between the head of screw 40 and body8 to prevent leakage when the screw is set up tight.

In bore 16 is positioned a short tubular element 48 having a smallstaked in position as at 52.

In assembling the above described unit, the disks 32 are firstpositioned over shank 24. Extension 28 is then pushed through bore 20and the end riveted over as at 30 by a tool inserted into bore 16. Screw40 with washer 46 thereon is then inserted in the threaded hole 38 andafter being set up tight, is backed oil a limited amount. Then, forceagainst the end of screw 40 to bend it as at 44. Screw 40 is then set uptight again after which tube 48 is placed in bore 16 and secured bystaking it as at 52. The valve is then complete and ready for operation.

The operation of the valve is as follows: It is first screwed into theradiator to the position shown. As the water level may rise in theradiator, air will be forced through bore 50, passage 34, hole 36 andout to the atmosphere past the sides of disks 32. If it is desired topermit the air to escape more rapidly, screw 40 can be backed off untilwasher 46 is no longer in sealing engagement with the head of screw 40.Air can then escape easily through bore 50 and out through hole 38 pastthe fiat side 42 of screw 40.

In due course the water level will rise in the radiator and water willenter bore 50, traveling along to passage 34 and out through hole 36. Onreaching hydroscopic disks 32, the water causes them to swell toincrease their thickness so that they forma tight compact mass betweenthe interior of head 22 and the end of body 8. The pressure developed bythe disks against each other as they bore 50 therethrough. This tube isa tool is inserted through bore 16 to exert suflicient swellifrom the,initial water received therein is such that they act as an effectiveseal against the escape of the following water.

From the foregoing explanation it will be seen that the. valvefunctionsautomatically to permit ,theescapeof air whenever the pressurein the, radiatoris gieaterthan the surrounding atmospheric, pressure;Pressure above atmospheric may be caused by; arisingwaterlevel in theradiator or by escape of gas; from, themadiator water. Upon rise ofthewater.level-tothevalve, escape ofwater is prevented by, theautomaticswelling ofdisks 32. Thereafter, as the water' level in the radiatorrecedes, the disks 32 will dry out putting themselvesin conditionfor.further ventingtof ain whenever thepressureagain increases aboveatmospheric.

It should be noticedthat disks 32 are exposed/to the atmosphere aboutvtheir entire. peripheries. This is of considerable advantage asitfacilitates rapid drying of thedisks after. the. water recedes and. ithas the1additional advantage of: minimizing, the. cost of constructionof this type-of valve. The. tube 48 inserted after screw, 40, has beenbent at its inner end is designed to minimize the amount of'condensateor water which .willremain in bore 50. In othen words,.as the. waterlevel in the radiator falls, a limited amount of wateror condensate willremain inbore. 50, in the cavity around the inner end of screw 40, andvin the passages 34 and 3,6. It tube 48.

withits small bore 50 were not present, the. amount of water to beevaporated through disks 32 wouldbeconsiderablygreater, in which lattercase,,the venting of air from the radiator-wouldbe correspondinglydelayed.

Fromthisexplanation it can be seenthatthe insertable tube 48 provides adesirable construction that facilitates valve operation. Tube 48.maybesuppliedeconomically by utilizing apiece. of standard tubing,thuseliminating the necessity of boring out the hole 50.

It is my intention to. cover a1l.changes and modifications oftheexampleof the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure which donot constitute departuresfrom the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Anair venting valve comprising a valve body having athreaded portionat one end for screw threaded engagementwith a radiator, apassagethrough said body, a shank fixed with respect to and extendingfrom said body, a flange on the end of. said shank and spaced from theend of said body, a plurality of hygroscopic elements mounted on saidshank between saidbody and flange and another. passage through saidshank leading from said body passagerto the interior of said hygroscopicelements, the combined thicknesses of said hygroscopic elements when drybeing such that airreaching said elements through said. passages maypass thereby to the atmosphere, but when said elements are moistened bywater comingthrough saidpassages, said elements will expand and" presswith suificient force against the end of said ody, nd. aidan e. toubstant all tep. urth r, ow of water through said passages.

2. An air venting valve as set forth in claim 1, said body passage beingof reduced diameter toward the exit end, thereby to form an interiorshoulder, said shank having a tubular extension extending into said bodypassage, the end of said extension being flared outwardly to makeengagement with a shoulder in said body passage.

3. Anair venting valve as set forth in claim 1, said, hygroscopicelements being completely unenclosed about their entire perimeters.

4. An air venting valve as set forth in claim 1, said body passage beingformed in part by a length of tubing positioned in a larger bore toprovide afiuid opening of much less capacity than the said bore in whichsaid tubing is placed and a quick venting valve comprising a screwpositioned in a threaded opening leading from said body passage throughthe wallof said body, saidlarger bore being 'of sufficient diameter topermit the insertion, when said tubing is not positioned therein, of atool adapted to engage .andbend the inner end of said screw to preventthesub sequent removal of said screw from said body.

5. An air venting valve comprising a body having a threaded endadaptedto be screwed into a radiator, 21 passagethroughsaid body, a headcomprising a flange anda shank, said shank being secured both to saidbody andsaidflange, .a plurality of hygroscopic disks surroundiug saidshank and positioned between the end of said body: andsaid flange withtheir perimetersentirely exposed and a passage through said shankleading to the interiorperimeterof said hygroscopic disks whereby waterreaching. said: disks willv cause expansion of said disks suflicienttobring said disks into tight engagement with said body. and flange tostop further flow of water through said. passages.

6. An air venting valve as setforth in claim 1, said body passage beingof reduced diameter toward its exit end. therebyto form an interiorshoulder, saidshank having. a tubular extension extending into said bodypassage,.the end of said extension being flared outwardly to makeengagement with said shoulder in said body passage, said body passagebeing formed in part by a short tube, positioned within a larger bore insaid valve body, said larger. bore being of a sufficient diameter topermit theinsertion of a tool for flaring the said end of said.extension prior to the insertion of said tube.

Referencesv Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

